Girls hockey: PEA hoping for big season

Friday

EXETER — Eva Wilson and Martha Griffin have a number of things in common.

EXETER — Eva Wilson and Martha Griffin have a number of things in common.

They're teammates on the Phillips Exeter Academy girls hockey team. They're both defensemen. And they love their team.

But that's pretty much where the similarities end.

Wilson's a senior who hadn't played the game in a couple of years, but decided to try out for the team "30 minutes before tryouts."

The 17-year-old from Kensington even had to go home to get her hockey equipment.

Seeing her father, Steve, who's an asssistant coach on the team, refereeing on the ice the night before, made her miss skating. She also said the girls on the team are such a nice group of girls.

Griffin, a sophomore, on the other hand, sticks out when she's on the ice. Even when sitting down.

The 15-year-old from Exeter is 5 foot, 11 inches tall, and towers over most, including Wilson.

Last year Griffin was a forward for the Big Red.

Phillips Exeter coach Melissa Pacific, however, needed defensemen this season after losing three to graduation last year.

"Obviously the biggest thing is her size," Pacific said. "She has a great long reach. She also reads the play very well and finds the open space."

Last Saturday's jaboree at the academy was Griffin's first game on defense, and as Pacific said she's doing a great job and learning along the way.

To help make the switch, Griffin began playing as a defenseman over the summer for the New Hampshire Lady Monarchs. She also plays soccer and lacrosse, but hockey is her favorite and the sport she wants to play in college.

Wilson, who ran cross country and was a member of the school's cycling team, hopes to continue cycling in college. She applied for early admission to Williams College.

Last year the PEA girls finished with a 19-6-1 record, and advanced to the New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference playoffs for the first time in nine years. Despite losing the three defensemen and a great player in North Hampton's Lauren Greer (Greer went on to play at Middlebury College), Pacific thinks "we should be pretty competitive. We have a lot of kids in the locker room who can step up and fill those holes."

Wilson began playing hockey in Jim Tufts' Learn to Play Hockey program, and continued playing as a member of the Lady Monarchs. She didn't make the cut for the Phillips Exeter team when she was a freshman, but aside from playing a split season for the Monarchs she didn't play hockey again until this year's tryouts.

Pacific said Wilson is very coachable, has a great attitude, and is tough. Wilson said getting back to hockey feels great.

"I love it," says Wilson. "I forgot a lot of things, but I'm getting back into it slowly and surely."

Griffin began playing hockey when she was a first grader for New Hampshire East, then for the New Hampshire Junior Wildcats before returning to NHE at the Bantam level.

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